Good
morning brothers and sisters! It is such an honor to be able to be up here to
speak to you and also to do so with Ashley Carlson. She has always been one of
those girls that I look up to and I am so grateful for her example of going on
a mission and I’m so excited to hear about her experience, as I’m sure you are
too, so I’ll try to keep this short.
I have
been called of the Lord to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Days Saints in Pachuca Mexico. I am unbelievably excited about it. Some
fun facts are that it is a fairly new mission, opened to boys last July and
girls in December. It is at an altitude comparable to Snowbird, so the
temperature ranges from 45 to 75, so I’ll be pretty spoiled. I will be eating
rice and beans but also with a twist of maggot tacos or ant eggs or larvae or
tadpoles and salamanders. So. Uh. Yeah, pretty pumped. :/ haha but really, I
feel incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to serve a mission and share
the hope and joy this gospel brings to me with the people of Mexico.
Today
I was asked to speak on Joseph Smith. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t so sure
about this as a farewell topic. Yes, I have a testimony that he restored the
gospel to the earth in these latter days and that he was martyred for what he
believed but I wasn’t sure how I could make this into a farewell talk. But, as
I researched and pondered the things he did it made me realize that he lived.
He had a cause and he wasn’t afraid to share it. And this reminds me of the
Savior and His life and all He did and what His life represents.
Both the Savior and the Prophet Joseph gave their
lives in a divine cause. Yet President David O. McKay once wrote, “I confess
that [Christ’s shedding His blood] has moved me less than the realization that
in His life He lived for His fellow men” Similarly, I am more inspired by
Joseph Smith’s life than by his death. Quoting John Taylor, he “left a fame and
name that cannot be slain. He lived great”. It is vital to commemorate the
Prophet’s death; we must never forget. Yet his life is a model of one possessed
of mighty faith in Jesus Christ. The Lord asked the Nephites, “What manner of
men ought ye to be?” and then answered his own question, “Even as I am”.
The Savior performed miracles and taught sermons
that defy human expectation. He rose people from the dead, healed the lepers,
gave sight to the blind and cleansed those who were polluted. He taught of love
and kindness and joy, yet did what some preachers fail to do. He lived it. What
a phenomenal standard for us to live up to. Whether or not you believe in this
gospel or any other faith or not at all, we can all be kind. We can all love
each other. We can all find joy. And I’ve found the greatest example of all
these attributes is Jesus Christ.
The beloved disciple John stated simply, “God is
love”. Kindness and compassion flowed from the Only Begotten Son’s soul as pure
water from a pristine spring.
President Spencer W. Kimball, another great
prophetic example of love, taught: One
can learn to be loving. If one patterns his life in the mold of love—if he
consciously and determinedly directs his thoughts, controls his acts, and tries
to feel and constantly express his love, he becomes a person of love, for “As
he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
I have often wondered what our purpose is here on
Earth and how incredible it is to imagine that each of us have a divine purpose
and God knows each of us individually. It is amazing that we have the knowledge
that there is a hereafter and we can live with our families forever. But in
order to achieve that blessing we must live our lives worthy and to the best of
our ability now. I have always believed this life is about each other. We are
meant to build each other up, love each other, and help each other in this
crazy journey home. President Gordon B. Hinckley taught our responsibility:
We are all in this
great endeavor together… Your obligation is as serious in your sphere of
responsibility as is my obligation in mine. All of us in the pursuit of our
duty touch the lives of others. To each of us in our respective
responsibilities the Lord has said: “Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the
office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands
which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees”
And
so comes the question. Why am I serving a mission? There is a story that really struck me when I heard it and I
would like to share it with you. It is about a young man who had a dream as he
was preparing for his mission call. It goes as follows: I was in the
pre-existence and was awaiting my call to come to earth. In my dream, I was
talking to a friend. He was a very dear friend, and I felt a special closeness
to him, even though I've never met him in this life. As we talked, a messenger
came and gave me a letter. I knew it was my call to go to earth. In great
excitement my friend and I opened the letter I gave it to him and asked him to
read it aloud. The letter said: You have been called to earth in a special time
and to a special land. You will be born into the true church, and you will have
the priesthood of God in your home. You will be raised with many advantages and
many blessings. You will be born in a land of freedom. You will go to earth in
the United States of America. My friend and I rejoiced as we read my call. And
while we rejoiced, the messenger returned. This time he had a letter for my
friend. We knew it was his call to earth. My friend gave me the letter to read
aloud. The letter said: You have been called to go to earth in circumstances of
poverty and strife. You will not be raised in the true church. Many hardships
will attend your life. Your land will be fraught with political and social
difficulties, which will hinder the word of the Lord. We wept, my friend and I
as we read his call. And my friend looked at me with tears in his eyes and said,
"When we are down on earth, come and find me." This story, one that I
heard years and years ago, has impacted my whole life in a way most other
stories haven’t. I feel so strongly that I have made the same promise. I know there is someone in
Pachuca Mexico that I promised in the preexistence that I would find and share
the gospel with. That is why I am going on a mission. The example of Jesus
Christ’s life and how he lived and helped his fellow men is awe-inspiring and I
want to imitate that. The sacrifice both Jesus and Joseph made of dedicating
their entire lives to the spreading of the gospel is immense and makes 18
months not sound too daunting. I know it is going to be really hard. I know I
am going to miss my family more than anything in the world. And yet, this
gospel deserves to be shared. It has brought me hope in times of darkness,
standards in times of unsurety, and joy in all times. I have been so blessed to
have this gospel to help me along my way and look forward to the notion of
inviting others to experience the same.
Of
all of the examples of Christ like love and kindness and goodness, the absolute
first person who comes to my mind is my mother. Oh mom, glad I have the
tissues. Mom, you are my best friend. You are my rock and my cheerleader, my
personal secretary and fellow ice cream lover. Thank you for teaching me to
love others. You emanate Christ. From never missing a birthday card or thank
you note to making and delivering cinnamon rolls to people in the neighborhood.
You love others and you show it. I will miss our long talks where we laugh and
cry together. Whenever I get sick, the first thing I want is for my mom to hold
me. I don’t have proper command of the English language, well any language come
to think of it, to properly express the love I have for you. Abraham Lincoln
once said, “All that I am or hope to be I owe to my angel mother”, and I
completely share this sentiment. Thank you mom, you’re the greatest example I
have in my life of how to be. I love you so much.
Dad,
you’re my hero. You showed me the importance of having an open mind to
everything. You taught me by example to look out for the outsiders or those who
don’t have a friend. You teach me everyday to look at the bigger picture and
that kindness is most important. Whenever I am struggling with something or
someone I know I can come to you and fully and completely speak my mind and you
will not only feel that frustration with me but also help me come up with a
resolution that will somehow fix everything. Thank you for teaching me to love
the outdoors. Your love for the mountains has also been placed in me and given
me such a great comfort in times of happiness and in times of sadness. Thanks
for being my climbing, kayaking, knot-tying, backpack wearing, long boarding,
story-telling, amazing friend. You have done more than the responsibility of
being a father figure to me, you have been my closest friend when you didn’t
have to. Since we’re family we have to love each other, but I genuinely like
you dad. But more than any of that stuff, thank you for loving mom and me no
matter what. I love you dad, so much.
I
want to thank the neighborhood. The saying, “it takes a village” is completely
true. And I’ve had help across the country from Kansas to Texas to California
and even Vanuatu and everywhere in between. A special thanks to those who
traveled near and far to support me, I truly appreciate it. There have been so
many people who have taken an interest in me and been so kind to me that didn’t
have to. And it’s not because I am anything special, but because of their genuine
spirits and loving souls in helping a little piece of work like me grow up.
Thank you so much. Our bishopric is incredible, whether it be a helping hand in
getting tables and chairs, doing interviews, or my endless texts trying to
figure it all out because I was so nervous. Thank for your patience and love
and smiles. Thank you to my teachers, my leaders, my peers, and my friends. I
have been blessed over the years with the best of friends. Whether we ran or
swam together or are friends through school I am so grateful for our
friendship. I am grateful for the many examples I have to look up to of
missionary service and those who couldn’t be here now because they are serving
the Lord in various countries around the world. I can’t wait to join them. I am
also grateful for the people who couldn’t be here today due to college starting
up. I wish all of them and all of you who are gaining a further education the
best of luck and I know you will all succeed no matter where you are. I am
moved and humbled by the immense love I feel as I look out at each of you.
I
also want to thank my extended family. My grandma is amazing. Her love and
service for her fellow man is beyond my comprehension. She never fails to help
someone else, including myself with sewing mission skirts for me. You know,
mission shopping is exhausting especially for my mom and myself. We go for a
solid 45 minutes then need an ice cream break. My grandma has saved us by doing
it for us. She always has a place at the table and a story for anyone who wants
one. Thank you grandma. And grandpa thank you for making me feel beautiful.
Whenever I go over to your house I get filled with new knowledge and insights
about the gospel or what the meaning of life is and leave feeling refreshed and
whole. Thank you both for your unconditional love to each other, the family,
and myself. I have been blessed with such an incredible family on both sides.
Aunts, uncles, cousins – thank you for the laughs and the love throughout my
life. Thank you for your examples. I am blessed to have my dad’s sister and her
husband serving a mission in Vanuatu right now; I miss them so much but I am so
excited to see them when I get back. Maryanne taught me how to smell and
appreciate books and laugh and Larry taught me how powerful a testimony can be.
I love them and adore their kids. So thank you to all my family, you have been
the most important role in my life and I feel so lucky to have been a part of
yours. Love you guys.
Well,
I would like to end with my testimony…
I
know that this church is true. I wouldn’t be going on a mission if I didn’t.
I’m grateful for the hope it brings me. I know Joseph Smith restored the gospel
here on earth and that President Monson is the living prophet today. I know
that he loves us and would never lead us astray. I know the Book of Mormon is
true, every word. If you haven’t read it, read it. Pray about it. That’s how we
know for ourselves. I am so grateful to live in a free country and have the
opportunity to gain an education and have parents who support me in that. I
know that families can be together forever which is the biggest joy this gospel
brings me, because there is no one I would rather annoy for the rest of
eternity. And most of all, I love the Savior. He is my friend. And I can’t wait
to introduce him to the people of Pachuca. I love you all, adios for now.
In
the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
